Container for blood



Oct. 9, 1951 A. CAHAN CONTAINER FOR BLOOD nvvmvroxz AMOS CAHAN BY (12 g, r

ATTORNEYS Filed Feb. 24, 1949 Patented Oct. 9, 1951 omrso ESTATES PATEN T o FLFl C E GGNTAIN-ER FOR BIiOOD Amos .Gahan, New .Y.ork,.N. Y. Application February 24, 1949, Serial No. 78,119

7--Claims. .1 "ZBhis Zinvention relates to a 0Ilt31i1'lB1'ifDIlb1UUd and adapted for use during transfusions.

1Inithe- -preserit:state of the art, ,a :round glass container with one opening in .the .top is :used.

The opening is :proviided with a sterilized :stopper, thesame-stopper being utilized both in :gath- :ering and :dispensing 'the :blood. I his arrangement mecessitatesan :air went leading through the stopper :to :the opposite end of the contair-rer to provide the necessary supply :of :air during transa usion. Moreover, during transfusion, present practice is to use a :drip indicato :containing a filter inserted in the stopper which =may c10g=at a critical moment. It has also Jceen founa that the round containers of the present art are ill :adaptedforstorage.

It is 'an object-of "the instant invention to provide a container -into which the blood may be gathered Without the necessity for holding it in the handand agitating theeontents aypresently practiced.

A further object is to provide a container in which filters have been so incorporated that the danger from clogging during transfusion is obviated.

Still 'another object is "the creation of a blo'od container that is readily stored in the usually limited refrigerated space available.

Other objects of the instant invention 'will hecome apparent in the *course of the following specification.

In the accomplishment of these objectives, the container of "the subject invention "is made in the form of a square bottle in each end of which is an opening provided with a sterilized stopper. In "the four -corners of each end is a leg so that the bottle ma *be placed upright on either end. Either opening may be "used for the inlet or outlet out the stopper --for the preselected outlet has inserted on the inner end thereof a filter which extends upward-1y in the bottle while an opening through the stopper provides a passage between the filter and 1a self clos'ing outlet "designed for the removable insertion of the known drip indi- 'ca'tor but without the usual filter. "The subject blood container or bottle has been further imgimoved, :compared with the known art, by intro- :ducing asecond filter of sand or the like zthere'in. :In addition, .a handle ameniber has been incorrpnrated :in :such a :manner that the bottle -can he suspended firom either end, and when :not t-in use ziszreleasably to thebottle and'never anci- .dentally inztheaway.

".ilhe will :appear more clearly from the iollowing detailed "description when taken 2 connection with the accompanying drawings showing by wvay of example a preferred-embodiment o'f the =inventive idea;

In the-drawings:

--Figure '1 is an end view of the con'tainer :or bottl'e :cons'tructed in accordance with the principles of thisjinvention.

' Figure 2 is :a sectional view :along the line "22 of Figurel.

Figure 3 is :an elevational view of the :container suspended from one :end :and with "the drip :indicator inserted.

Figure .4 is :an elevational view of the container with a part of the surface broken away show more clearly the sand filter.

F igurei5 sisian eleva'tional viewrof the container showing the manner in which the blood separates.

Referring :now in greaterde'ta'il to the drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like parts, reference numeral l0 indicates the conta'iner :or :bottle, :H the first :filter, sl'2 the :sand .filter, 113 the drip indicator, :and t4 the handle member.

'fl hezcontamer orbottle 5E0 18 a hollow rectangu qar member=-of=glassror otherimaterial and is constituted of the Trontzmem'ber 15 .(Fig. 1) spaced "parallel with the .backimember 1151; the ftflplmemher :lflgsnaced parallel with the :bottom member zlfih amid the f'spaced .paraill'el end members l -9 zand :said :members be'in'g integrally iormed Lalong corresponding edges. In each corner of the :end imendher all care the integrally formed :leg memfners 2.1, 1-22, '23, sand :24 'while the :spaced .parallel 'enrlsmemher 1E9 :is provided with similar qeg unemzhers. These Eleg vmembers :are :all atriangu'lar in moss-section. .By :this construction, the :oonta'iner I10 may he mad'eiostandtupright oneither endi @bviously, other forms :of ilegs could be used. opening 25 .is :providedahovetthe bottom member iI-B and between the legs in :the end zmember t?! while "a similar opening v25 .but on the opposite sideisiormed in theiend member 20. Both of the openings 35 :and 26 are closed flay t-he sterilized stoppers;2I.and:28,respective1y.

At the top :and bo'ttom of :one ot the spaced :parallel .side, top, :or bottom members, ar-e =the integrally formed pivotal handle supports 2'9 and 30 (Eig. -3?) in=opp ose'd relationship tosimilar sup- .ports Lon the opposite member for the removable insertion of the free'endsof the"-U-shaped-'han- :dle member M, the freeemis being inwardly di- 'rected portions of the side members of the handle member f! and the side "members 'beingofsuffi- :c'ien't lleng th so that the integrally formed hor'i zontal member can be rotated above the ends of the legs when inserted in the corresponding pivotal supports as shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5. Designed to be releasably held in corresponding pivotal supports under tension, the handle member I4 is readily removed from either set of pivotal supports and inserted in the set at the opposite end in accordance with the end of the container that is to be suspended downwardly. The horizontal portion of the handle member [4 is so designed, approximately in the center, that an outwardly directed portion coacts with a catch 3| (Fig. 3) disposed on a contiguous surface portion to releasably maintain the handle member [4 outof-the-way when not in use. 7

The sterilized stopper 2'! is substantially of the known type but the sterilized stopper 28 has been modified in the following manner: The inwardly directed end of the stopper 28 has been provided with an inwardly directed integrally formed flange 32 (Fig. 2) for the removable insertion of the bottom of the filter H which may be of the known type or redesigned to extend substantially for the full length of the container as shown. A passage 33 is also formed in the stopper 28, one end of the passage 33 being aligned with the usual opening in the end of the filter l l and the opposite or outlet end made self-closing and adapted for the removable insertion of the end of the drip indicator i3 as shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5.

Within the container [9 is a sand filter I2 (Figs. 2, 3, 4, and which is held above the spaced bottom member by a screen 34 held in the bottom of the container 10 by any suitable means. Of course, a similar screen could be inserted in the opposite end of the container I0.

The filter I2 is located between the screen 34 and the inlet 33, and is adapted to cover the inlet in the horizontal position of the container [0, and to cover the screen 34 in the vertical position of the container ID.

The operation of the container I0 is as follows:

When gathering the blood into the container 10, the handle member l4 may be releasably secured by the catch 3|. In the position shown in Figure 2, the sand filter I2 impregnated with the known solution 35 will be above the spaced parallel bottom member I3, and covering the stopper 21, the air above the solution 35 having been exhausted in the usual manner. The hollow needle 36 is passed through the stopper 2! and the outer end attached to the end of a tube 31 which leads to the person (not shown) from whom the blood is being taken in a known manner. The vacuum in the container 10 is sufficient to draw the blood from the person into the solution 35 with which it mixes in a known manner. The agitation caused by the blood being drawn into the solution 35 by the vacuum has been found to furnish sufficient mixing of the blood and solution without the necessity for holding the bottle I!) in the hand and shaking during the gathering operation as presently done. On standing, with the container Ill upright on either end, the gathered blood separates into the plasma, indicated by the reference numeral 38 (Fig. 5), and the cells, indicated by numeral 39. During transfusion, sometimes one or the other of the separated blood portions is required. Suppose the container [0 is suspended by the handle member M from the support (Fig. 3) and that the blood has separated into the plasma 38 and cells 39 as shown in Figure 5. The end of the drip indicator I3 is inserted in the outlet of the passage 33 (Fig. 2) while through the stopper 21 (Fig. 3) a hollow needle 40a is passed which provides communication between the upper portion of the container l0 and atmospheric pressure without the necessity for the usual vent tube. If the cells 39 are desired, the same will pass through the filter ll, while some of the cells will pass through the sand filter l2 and the filter II but without any danger from clogging the drip indicator [3, since any particle in the cells 39 capable of clogging after passin through the sand filter I2 will clog only one or more openings of the filter I l leaving the remainder of the openings of the filter ll free for the passage of the cells, while that portion of the filter H below the screen 34 is free from clogging. Suppose further, that it is desired to inject the plasma 38 into the patient, then with the same equipment in the same position, it is only necessary to permit the cells 39 to be drained off whereupon the plasma 38 will fall to the bottom of the container H) for filtering into the patient in the manner previously described for the cells. In storage, the square containers I!) may be stood upright in less space than a corresponding number of known round bottles per unit of blood stored or may be stacked one upon the other.

It is apparent the specific illustrations shown above have been given by way of illustration and not by way of limitation and that the structures above described are subject to wide variation and modification without departing from the scope or intent of the invention, all of which variations and modifications are to be included within the scope of the present invention, as defined in the claims in this application.

What is claimed is:

1. In a container for blood adapted for use in blood transfusions, the container having at least one opening, a stopper for the opening, at least one self-closing opening through the stopper, a drip indicator coacting with the outlet end of the self-closing opening and means introducing air into the opposite end of the container; an elongated filter disposed on the inwardly directed end of the stopper and extending upwardly into the container, the outlet of the filter communieating with the self-closing opening through the stopper, a second filterof granular material disposed in the container, and a screen support for the granular material above the opening, said granular material covering a portion of said elongated filter in the upright position of the container.

2. A container for blood adapted for use in blood transfusions comprising a hollow body member, the hollow body member comprising spaced parallel front and back members, spaced parallel top and bottom members, and spaced parallel end members, the end members having openings formed therethrough along opposite edges, said members being integrally formed along corresponding edges, 2. leg member disposed in the four corners of each end member, an antiseptic stopper for each of the openings, one of the stoppers having a self-closing opening therethrough and adapted for the insertion of an air vent, the other stopper having an inwardly directed flange around the inwardly directed end and a self-closing opening therethrough, a filter releasably disposed in the flange and extending upwardly in the container, the outlet of the filter communicating with the self-closing opening, a drip indicator releasably inserted in the outlet end of the self-closing opening; the container further comprising a U-shaped handle member, means releasably and pivotally .securingxthe han-ldle member at either end of the container, means releasably securing the handle member to the hollow body member; the container further comprising a second filter of granular material disposed therein, and a screen support for the granular material disposed in at least one end of the container.

3. A container for blood as set forth in claim 2 in which the leg members at each end of the container are characterized by being of triangular cross section and integrally formed with the container, the plane of the feet of the legs extending forwardly of the end of the stopper.

4. A container for blood as set forth in claim 2 in which the means releasably and pivotally securing the handle member at either end of the container comprises aligned pivotal handle supports integrally formed on opposed surfaces of the container adjacent each end member and adapted to coact with the free ends of the handle member.

5. A container for blood as set forth in claim 2 in which the means releasably securing the handle member to the hollow body member comprises a catch disposed on the outer surface of one of the spaced parallel members, the plane of which surface is parallel to the axis of the handle member, the catch having a slot formed therein, the slot being parallel to the axis of the handle member and adapted for the releasable insertion of the horizontal portion of the handle member.

6. In a container provided with an opening through which blood is gathered from a donor and injected into a patient, the Opening being provided with a stopper, and a drip indicator connected with the stopper, and the stopper provided with a filter through which the blood passes prior to being injected; a second filter for the container, the second filter being of granular material and covering a portion of the first filter in the upright position of the container to separate clogging elements from the blood prior to passing through the stopper filter.

'7. In a container adapted to store blood from a donor and to deliver the blood to a patient, the container having an inlet at one end through which the blood is gathered and an outlet at the opposite end; a screen disposed in the container in spaced relation with the outlet, the plane of the screen being perpendicular to the longitudinal center line of the container, and a filter of granular material for the container intermediate the screen and the inlet and adapted to cover the inlet in the horizontal position of the container and the screen in the vertical position thereof.

AMOS CAHAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,212,318 Gee Aug. 20, 1940 2,261,037 Schwab Oct. 28, 1941 2,313 219 Bulling Mar. 9, 1943 2,385,407 Endress Sept. 25, 1945 2,470,943 Page May 24, 1949 

